Wild Chance (Wilder Irish #13) - Mari Carr Page 0,66

“Want to move this party to the bedroom?”

She laughed breathlessly and nodded.

Padraig clasped her hand in his and started to lead her down the hall, but he was pulled up short as Emmy dug in her heels.

“Paddy,” she gasped.

He grinned, fully aware of what had captured her attention. She had spotted a new photo on his wall, one she hadn’t seen before. It was of the two of them on Halloween, the night of the blackout, the night she’d taken care of him.

He’d asked his dad to snap the picture of them in their farmer and strawberry costumes in the pub, just before heading to the party upstairs. Emmy was cheesing for the camera while Padraig was looking at her. Dad had texted the photo to him that night, and Padraig had saved it, looking at it more times than he cared to admit over the last year or so.

Last night, he’d sat down on his couch, scrolling through the pictures on his phone as he mulled over how to mend things with her. The more he looked, the more he realized the majority of the photos on his phone were of Emmy—the two of them together in some, or her with Seamus, or just her alone—and he was reminded once again of exactly how important, how vital, she’d become to his happiness, offering him true friendship, and now…love.

“I can’t believe you framed this and hung it up.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” he asked, watching as Emmy’s eyes traveled to the other framed pictures.

“Oh!” she said. “You hung all of them up.”

He’d replaced all but one of the photos of Mia, keeping the one of them on their wedding day.

In the others’ places now, there was a photo of Seamus, one of Colm and Kelli with the twins, and the great one of him and Pop Pop chatting together while at the pub that Emmy had given him for Christmas this year. She’d actually gifted him most of the pictures, but he’d never hung them up, refusing to relinquish a single spot in what he now knew had become a shrine to Mia, another way he’d locked himself in the past, in his grief.

“It reminds me of Pop Pop’s wall now,” he said. “Filled with the faces of everyone I love.”

She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. “I love it. Love that I snagged a spot.”

He smiled back. “You snagged a spot here too,” he said, pointing to his heart. “And you’re about to snag one down there.” Padraig pointed down the hall to his bedroom. He turned her away from him, swatting her on the ass. “If you’d hurry up and get a move on.”

Emmy didn’t start walking. “You’re not giving me much incentive.” As she spoke, she wiggled her adorable ass at him, inviting him to spank her again.

Padraig laughed, then wrapped his arm around her shoulders, moving once more toward his bedroom.

When they reached it, he resumed their kiss, loving the way Emmy’s hands caressed his cheeks, toyed with his short beard.

“Growing it back?” she asked.

He nodded. “Yeah. I think so. Like it?”

“I love it. Reminds me of the day we met. I took one look at you and thought, ‘It’s about time you got here.’ It felt as though I’d been meandering around aimlessly…looking for you.”

“I took my wedding ring off that day. Right after you left.”

“I didn’t know that.”

Padraig had never confessed that to her. He’d worn the ring over a year after Mia’s death. Then he’d met Emmy and seen a kindred spirit. She’d been knocked down by her parents’ deaths, but unlike him, she’d gotten back up, started putting one foot in front of the other, forced herself to move forward. “Your optimism, your desire to embrace life…it inspired me to do the same. Of course, it took me a lot longer to figure out how to do that. Thankfully, I’ve had one hell of an adorable tour guide.”

“Just adorable?” she asked, her tone pure seductress.

“Sexy as sin.”

She obviously liked that response. Emmy tugged at the hem of his shirt and he helped her, the two of them drawing it over his head together. Hers followed next.

Neither of them bothered with patience, both racing to strip the other of all their clothing. Once they were naked, Padraig pulled her into his arms again, his hands exploring every inch of her he could reach.

Then he pushed her toward the bed. She climbed into the middle and he followed Emmy down, caging her beneath him as

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